Harry in NEWT Potions Class? (Was: Is Snape confident?)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 87714

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Silverthorne Dragon" 
<silverthorne.dragon at v...> wrote:
> "Blair" wrote:
> 
> Anne Says:
> 
> Also, Snape is taking one huge bullet for *everyone* by spying on 
the Death
> Eaters (And Harry would be included in that). 

Eh? No matter how hard Snape's job is it is nothing in comparison 
with the bullet Harry is supposed to take for the whole wisarding 
world - to battle Voldy (and Snape will be included in that)


> Also, let me tell you...although having someone take verbal 
potshots at you
> is a pain, no matter who does it, it's not abuse. Abuse is when 
they have
> you, mentally torment you until you believe whatever they say 
(Usually along
> the lines of 'You;re horrid, you'll amount to nothing, you're 
useless,
> clumsy, stupid," etc), and physcially beat you, often for something 
as
> simple as missing a spot on a pan when you washed it (And yes, I've 
had that
> sort of incident happen to me--repeatedly--as a child). Snape my be
> vindictive, perhaps he gives Harry (and Neville) a little too much 
credit
> for being able to handle a direct (Although Harry seems to do quite 
well on
> that count--no matter WHAT Snape does, it slips off Harry like he 
was coated
> with teflon), no frills reaction to his antics, but he is NOT 
abusive. He
> *is*, however, giving Harry hard and fast lessons on what he can 
expect from
> his enemies once he stops being "Harry the Boy" and becomes "Harry 
the young
> man who will defeat Voldemort".
> 

 It is abuse in my book . It is even abuse by your definition - 
hementally torments Harry and Neville (poor Neville I think believes 
that he can not perform well in the potions class).
Even though I live in the States now, I come from the educational 
system, which used to give the teacher MUCH more latitude in dealing 
with the students and even by that standards it is the worst kind of 
emotional abuse.

> 
> Anne,
> 
> Who knows that it's hard to understand Severus, but thinks folks 
have him
> all wrong.

As far as I am concerned, I get him right, thank you very much. :o)
He is a great literary character, full of mystery and pain, and 
guilt. The character, who wants to be redeemed and I love him for 
that.

He is also a worst kind of bully possible - the one, who was a victim 
in his childhoood and could not get over it, the one, who can't hurt 
his childhood enemies anymore, but who has to hurt someone and does 
that to innocent child. It is a cowardice, as someone stated 
yesterday.

Alla